Sharks face Bulls in opener

2011-06-30 12:10

Johannesburg - South African rugby fans are known for their unwavering support for their provincial sides and that is exactly what they have been urged to provide at Thursday's launch of the 72nd Absa Currie Cup.

The Absa Currie Cup Premier Division kicks off on Friday, 15 July when the MTN Golden Lions host the Ford Pumas at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg. The final is scheduled for Saturday, 29 October.

“This season’s Absa Currie Cup will call on fans to show their passion for their teams in the oldest provincial competition in world rugby,” said SARU CEO Jurie Roux.

“Our campaign, ‘My team, my passion’ encapsulates the essence of being a South African rugby fan, as everyone has their favourite side. Passion is a powerful feeling and an undeniable emotion and as South African rugby supporters, we share that passion, never mind which team you support.”

Roux said the Absa Currie Cup remains a vital cog in South African rugby, as it is one of the toughest stepping stones to Springbok honours.

“Just look at the new breed of Springbok players who are emerging. Guys such as Pat Lambie, Elton Jantjies, Bjorn Basson, Flip van der Merwe and Coenie Oosthuizen all made a big impression playing in the Absa Currie Cup and we’re expecting more of the same this season,” Roux said.

“The Absa Currie Cup is where passion, skill and teamwork meet. There is nothing to compare to the thrill of seeing legends in the making as our top provincial sides battle it out to be crowned kings of the South African rugby landscape.”

“As the longest standing supporter of rugby in the country and the team sponsor of the Springboks, we remain committed to developing the game at all levels and contributing to sustaining the depth of rugby in South Africa,” said Ntshingila.

”Sponsorship plays a strategic role in Absa’s overall marketing mix and helps drive brand favourability and our business imperatives. Through the years our Absa Currie Cup sponsorship has continually created opportunities for SA’s rugby loving public to interact with the Absa brand. This year the Absa Card division will be aligning with the ’my team my passion’ campaign by utilising the competition platform to showcase their Union affinity cards while Absa Savings and Investments will let customers know that their goals are worth saving for,” Ntshingila added.

The defending Absa Currie Cup champions, The Sharks, have a tough opening fixture, against the Vodacom Blue Bulls, champions in 2009, at Mr Price Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, 16 July.

In the Absa Currie Cup First Division, the Eastern Province Kings host neighbours South Western Districts Eagles also on Friday, 15 July.

Sport24

Comments

Durban Dave - 2011-06-30 12:16

another klapping to the dairy cows :)

watalife - 2011-06-30 12:21

Sharks 1..... Bulls 0

Stuart - 2011-06-30 12:50

Guppies

Frik - 2011-06-30 16:11

Ja nes laas toe ons YSTERS in durban was...

WPBLIKSEM - 2011-07-04 13:57

Sharks by 10+

Scotty_za - 2011-06-30 12:21

Go Sharks!

Anneleen - 2011-06-30 12:22

Did not expect to read about CC news yet...please carry on feeding me some Sharks-news!
Bulls and Sharks fans-here is a chance to communicate outside of S15!

420 - 2011-06-30 13:19

check out sharksworld.co.za

gooinat - 2011-06-30 13:26

News24 has to also give the Bulls supporters something to talk about:):)

Yes Fat Bob, the difference is that we made it further and in front of the loser crowd that is the Bull's supporter.

Anneleen - 2011-06-30 15:14

@420...thank you for the information!
@gooinat...welkom! Hoe is die atmosfeer daar in Stormers kamp?

gooinat - 2011-06-30 15:20

Anneleen,the boys are very positive,the vibe in Cape Town at the moment is also great,only thing that concerns me is the weather I only hope it clears up by Saturday but I doubt it.

Anneleen - 2011-06-30 15:43

@gooinat...yes, the weather is a bit of a bother...but sounds like the players are geared for that very well! Best of luck to all of the Stormers supporters...it is great to have the pre-match vibe!!!

Frik - 2011-06-30 16:11

At last is daar weer behoorlike rugby op die tafel...

Jp - 2011-06-30 12:22

easy win for the bulls

Airborne68 - 2011-06-30 12:24

Just like the last game?

Rob van den Heuvel - 2011-06-30 15:51

Suppose the Bulls have had one extra week to prepare as the Sharks had an extra game with a bucket load of travel.
And....Meyer is now director of coaching, time to pull those bulls back into shape, ne?
Should be a good game; please, please, please - no B-Team excuses!

Frik - 2011-06-30 16:12

Ja air nes die laaste gamein durban...

sharks4playoffs - 2011-06-30 12:34

Gonna be interesting to see how the CC goes with no springboks, think you gotta back either the Sharks (im bias) or Cheetahs

Foes - 2011-06-30 12:42

Good on you for backing both your team and your feeder team :).

sharks4playoffs - 2011-06-30 12:44

no arguement there, i always said that the cheetahs would be the best team in SA and possible SANZAR if they had money to keep and buy players!!!

Foes - 2011-06-30 12:52

No worries bud, most of the laaities that turn out for Grey and initially for the FS are from all over, as is the case with the prominent Paarl/Stellenbosch schools here in Cape Town. At least your scouts have been able to recognise tallent very early over the years, which is more than we can say.

Bokke2007 - 2011-06-30 12:42

What tough fixture?? Half the blue bulls have retired. They need to rebuild again before they call themselves the mighty bulls. But come to Durban, we will give you a good klap anyway.

bulls gonna take at least 3-4 years to build again, as a wp supporter, trust me we know..

watalife - 2011-06-30 13:29

3-4 yrs? I am sure it will take longer.

Stompies - 2011-06-30 13:51

What do you know. Its taking the Stormers more than 10 - 15 years now and still nothing to show!! (Super Rugby wise)

watalife - 2011-06-30 14:15

@Stompie And the News read that the bulls are out the S15 Cup.

gooinat - 2011-06-30 14:23

@Watalife,the Bulls supporters can carry on all they like about us not winning trophy's etc but its eating the cr@p out of them that they are already out the S15!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rob van den Heuvel - 2011-06-30 15:54

@JK - 100% right, gonna take some time to get that ship heading in the right direction.

meltie@24.com - 2011-06-30 17:08

@Maybe the Stormers never won a Super 12 or Super 14 final and that is a pitty. However do you know that the Bulls never played in a Super 15 semi final or even a final? Why dwell on the past do you know the WP won the Curriebeker in the 80 's 5 times consecutively something no other team ever accomplished. Lets forget the past look at the current and the future.

Bring on the Currie Cup, great for SA rugby! Please Mr Roux, send some people over to help the Ozzies with their provincial comp, they need all the help they can get.

TheDon - 2011-06-30 12:52

The Bulls and Pumas will be battling for the wooden spoon come October. The top five sides, bearing in mind no Boksand in no particular order will be: Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks, WP and Griquas

TheDon - 2011-06-30 14:24

Must be all the Pumas fans giving this the thumbs down, clearly they feel upset at being bracketed with the baby bulls. In all seriousness though without key and senior players the Bulls will struggle, hopefully not as much as they did in the early 2000's

kosie - 2011-06-30 13:06

And now the bulls can't say BUT WE WERE PLAYING WITHOUT OUR SPRINGBOKS, because they don't have any springboks left except for hougaard and useless meisiekind.

Stompies - 2011-06-30 13:52

And your logic Kosie?

Rob van den Heuvel - 2011-06-30 16:03

@Stomies - because many of those previous Bulls who will be Boks are leaving the Bulls, Victor, Bakkies, Fourie.....

Jan - 2011-06-30 17:05

I agree Kosie

GraemeBB - 2011-06-30 22:33

@Kosie & Jan - dont forget, the Boks will miss them, as will the Bulls. But, do you soccer fans understand that?

@watalife - doesnt take much to amuse you - just make a comment about a Bull, and ooops, watalife must go change his undies. Yes Stormers, he is one of yours! Good luck with that.

Stompies - 2011-06-30 13:48

As a Bulle supporter - maybe it should be "Bulls facing sharks"?
Just asking and giving credit to the current CC champs!

watalife - 2011-06-30 14:18

Who cares about your useless team anyway. They lost at home to the Sharks infront of a packed crowd that was imported from Soweto. Loser...

TheDon - 2011-06-30 14:26

A little harsh there watalife, did you not get a chocolate in your lunchbox today?

watalife - 2011-06-30 15:06

@TheDon... Whats chocolate? Yes i do agree that it will take time to rebuild, why did it take so many years to break down the solid structures that was always the talking point of all rugby in the bulls region? I am of the oppinion that they thought, Oh well we dont need to change and everybody else will follow?

GraemeBB - 2011-06-30 22:40

@watalife - remind us all what happened at Newlands a few weeks ago when the Bulls went there? As for your opinion, who cares?

BlueRaven - 2011-07-01 12:15

@GreameBB wasting your time he suffers from selective memory

Mr Spotter - 2011-06-30 14:10

The Bulls will come back again like they always do and when they do, they will come back HARD

watalife - 2011-06-30 14:20

Those exact words were read all over the world some time back and YIP they fell hard....

Shistirrer - 2011-06-30 14:20

They already came back HARD down to earth.

Mr Spotter - 2011-06-30 14:29

Ag, Every team has there good game and there bad game... It's how prepared they are on the day. As a rugby player I know...

TheDon - 2011-06-30 14:29

There's no doubt they'll come back, but if you look at the time it takes to rebuild a quality side after losing a lot of players you have to be realistic, it is going to take at least 4 years. In the meantime Sharks, WP, Lions and Cheetahs have much more solid squads.

Mr Spotter - 2011-06-30 14:55

I just love reading everybody's comments about the game... people become so defensive. Supporters get more angry than the players

BlueRaven - 2011-06-30 15:48

@getalife you sound like a broken record... tell me if your team looses AGAIN, will you go crying to your mommy?

GraemeBB - 2011-06-30 22:47

Mr Spotter - if you have come here to make valid points, and engage in some intelligent rugby talk, you sure speaking to the wrong people. These two bafoons dont have a decent word to say. Things they were taught at home, no doubt. watalife is a poor little freak with internet access, and Shitsterer's name speaks for itself.

Gavin - 2011-06-30 15:38

The Sharks should make up the whole team for the TRI Nations so that the Springbok team for the WC can stay behind and start training.